Lake Eyasi

  • Tanzania Safari Routes Distances

    Vika
    November 24, 2022

    Tanzania, our incredible home, is always open for travelers! We can’t wait to share her beauty with you.

    Take a look below at what we have to offer: the routes, the accommodations, and the experiences.

    The north of Tanzania is full of incredible sights, every way you look. Most of the highlights of the region are in relatively close proximity to each other, making it easy to travel through all of them on safari. The diversity between the parks in this region gives travelers a broad experience of East African nature, culture, and wildlife.

    The information here will give you a better understanding of the distances and travel times involved in a private safari in Tanzania. It will be useful as you plan yours!

    There is so much opportunity for travel in Tanzania, and your trip can easily include a safari in neighboring Kenya or a beach getaway to idyllic Zanzibar. Get in touch to find your perfect safari!

    Arrival day, Kilimanjaro Airport

    Your guide will greet you at Kilimanjaro Airport, and, depending on your time of arrival, you will either start your safari immediately or go to your lodge in Arusha to get some rest before heading out on the safari trail the next morning.

    Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Lake Manyara National Park

    Distance: 130 km
    On the road: about 3 hours on paved roads from the lodge in Arusha. From Kilimanjaro Airport - about 4 hours (180 km).

    The trip: see the town of Mto Wa Mbu and spend a couple of hours wandering the busy streets. Learn about the lives of the Maasai people and the 100 or so other cultural groups living in the area. Visit plantations, workshops, a local bar (to drink banana beer!), and the market stalls for some local produce. For our lunch, we will enjoy some authentic dishes prepared by locals.

    Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Tarangire National Park

    Distance: 160 km
    On the road: about 3 hours on paved roads.

    The trip: From Arusha it takes about 2 hours, from Kilimanjaro Airport about 3 hours (160 km).

    Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport - Arusha National Park

    Distance: 50 km
    On the road: from Arusha about 1.5 hours on partly-paved roads, from Kilimanjaro Airport about 1 hour.

    Lake Manyara National Park - Tarangire National Park

    Distance: 100 km
    On the road: about 1 to 1½ hours on paved roads.

    Lake Manyara boasts Africa's highest concentration of elephants.

    Lake Manyara National Park - Serengeti Central

    Distance: 210 km
    On the road: 6 hours on roads partly-paved, but mostly sandy and bumpy.

    The trip: drive to Serengeti National Park via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. Eat lunch on the way while heading for the north of the Serengeti. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

    Things to do (optional): visit a Maasai Boma settlement and experience how semi-nomadic communities live with their age-old traditions.

    This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

    Lake Manyara National Park/ Karatu - Serengeti North (Lobo and Mara) / North East (Bolongonya)

    Distance: 290 km
    On the road: 8-9 hours on roads partly paved, but mostly sandy and bumpy. The road conditions here are poor and you will not have a lot of time to spend on game drives. We recommend to spend a minimum of 2 nights in the North Serengeti Region or opt for a flight in/out.

    The trip: the road from Lake Manyara to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

    Things to do (optional): visit a Maasai Boma settlement and experience how semi-nomadic communities live with their age-old traditions.

    This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

    Lake Manyara National Park - Lake Natron

    Distance: 80 km
    On the road: 2 hours on mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

    The trip: an adventurous route to a special, off-the-beaten-track place. The road to Lake Natron takes you through the cultural home of the Maasai people, passing the archeological site of the stone-age settlement Engaruka, as well as the majestic Ondoyo Lengai, the only active volcano in the Great Rift Valley. Lake Natron fascinates visitors with its colors, varying from pink, to lime green, to red. The concentration of minerals in the water makes this place a surreal and breathtaking landscape (which may also include flamingoes!).

    cheetah serengeti

    Tarangire National Park - Serengeti Central

    Distance: 300 km
    On the road: 6-7 hours partly on paved roads, but mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

    The trip: the road from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route goes straight through the heart of the Serengeti in the area of the Seronera River - one of the most thrilling rides in the region.

    This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

    Tarangire National Park - South Serengeti (Ndutu)

    Distance: 225 km
    On the road: 6 hours partly on paved roads, but mostly sandy and bumpy roads.

    The trip: the road from Tarangire to Serengeti National Park goes through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, with incredible panoramic views of the Ngorongoro crater below. This route includes a great opportunity to spot wildlife as you drive across the southern Serengeti.

    This route may also be covered by airplane. Please contact us for more information.

    Ngorongoro - Tarangire National Park

    Distance: 150 km
    On the road: 2 hours mostly on paved roads.

    The trip: the road from Ngorongoro takes you through Mto wa Mbu before arriving in Tarangire National Park. You can start the day with a game drive in Ngorongoro and head for Tarangire afterwards, or you can head to Tarangire in the morning and take your game drive there.

    Things to do (optional): see the town of Mto Wa Mbu and spend a couple of hours wandering the busy streets. Learn about the lives of the Maasai people and the 100 or so other cultural groups living in the area. Visit plantations, workshops, a local bar (to drink banana beer!), and the market stalls for some local produce. For our lunch, we will enjoy some authentic dishes prepared by locals.

    lions tanzania babies

    Lake Natron - Serengeti National Park North (Lobo and Mara) and North East (Bolongonya)

    Distance: 220 km
    On the road: 7 hours mostly on sandy and bumpy roads. A beautifully scenic day-trip!

    The trip: head out after breakfast with packed lunch boxes towards the north-eastern part of the Serengeti. Leaving the cliff ridges behind, you will be greeted by a majestic landscape and its residents with their cattle along the way. The landscape changes dramatically once you pass through Klein’s Gate and enter the Serengeti. Your road continues through seemingly-endless savannah with huge herds of grazing animals, and the carnivores which follow them.

    wildebeest migration tanzania serengeti

    Serengeti Central - Ngorongoro

    Distance: 160 km
    On the road: 3 hours on sandy and bumpy roads.

    The trip: you can start the day with a game drive in the Serengeti and head for Ngorongoro right after lunch, or you can head to Ngorongoro in the morning and take your game drive there.

    Serengeti Central - Serengeti North (Lobo and Mara) and North East (Bolongonya)

    Distance: 140 km
    On the road: 4 hours, or combined with a game drive about 7-8 hours. This also depends on the weather conditions, since many of the roads are gravel and corrugated. Alternatively, your guide may advise a different route with better roads, heading along the western outskirts of the Serengeti, with more time for game driving in the Kogatende/Lobo/Mara areas.

    The trip: a full-day game drive in the off-the-beaten-track Lobo reserve. This is a relatively remote area of the Serengeti, so you will see real wilderness with rocky outcrops. Here, you will visit the Bologonja Springs, an important watering hole for migrating animals.

    Ngorongoro Crater - Lake Eyasi

    Distance: 90 km
    On the road: about 2 hours on sandy and bumpy roads. These roads may be difficult during the rainy season (November - May).

    Lake Eyasi - Arusha / Kilimanjaro Airport

    Distance: 180 km
    On the road: 4 hours to reach Arusha, partly on paved roads, with some sandy roads. 5 hours (230km) to reach Kilimanjaro Airport.

    hadzabe man lake eyasi tanzania

    Arusha - Zanzibar

    Time: 1¼-hour flight
    From Arusha, you can fly to the Zanzibar archipelago or other beach areas on the coast of Tanzania for a luxurious wind-down after your safari.

  • Lake Eyasi, Ziwani, the Hadzabe and Datoga

    AdminSoa
    July 9, 2019

    Shadows of Africa recent safari with the Fritz group took in an exciting spread of both activities and lodges. Our skilled safari consultants can match your ideas and aspirations with what’s on the ground.

    One desire of theirs was to see not only wildlife but also the different cultures of Tanzania. Lake Eyasi and Ziwani were obvious choices.

    Lodge overview: Photo from Ziwani lodge Lodge overview: Photo from Ziwani lodge

     

    Ziwani Lodge overlooking Lake Eyasi is a refreshing refuge after a few days of concentrated game viewing in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.

    Interior. Photo from Ziwani lodge Interior. Photo from Ziwani lodge

     

    Ziwani has a style of its own. Created to provide a peaceful escape, fabulous views and the cool that’s required in this sometimes, harsh environment. Ziwani is gorgeous!

    But it’s not all about putting your feet up, relaxing by the pool and sipping an ice-cold drink, Eyasi is home to the Datoga and Hadzabe tribes and offers an insight into two different and intriguing cultures.

    Hadza with bow. Photo from Ziwani lodge Hadzabe with bow. Photo from Ziwani lodge

     

    The Hadzabe numbering around 1,000 in Tanzania are hunter-gatherers, living off the land. Using only bows and arrows they have no lasting impact on wildlife populations. They don’t cut trees and they don’t dig water holes, and they don’t ‘own’ things – instead they live in harmony with their environment, and we have a lot we can learn from them.

    The Datoga are highland Nilotic pastoralists dependent on their livestock and skilled blacksmiths – often trading their arrowheads with the Hadza in exchange for skins and honey.

    Finishing touches on an arrow head – Datoga tribe. Photo from Ziwani Lodge Finishing touches on an arrow head – Datoga tribe. Photo from Ziwani Lodge

     

    Step out of your box and discover a culture that’s not your own, that teaches you something different and that makes you appreciate more fully, the diversity of our beautiful world.

    Extend your safari and spend a day around the fascinating lake Eyasi.

  • On Safari with Shadows of Africa, Few Things to Know!

    AdminSoa
    June 26, 2019

    When you take a trip with Shadows of Africa, its extra special!

    Safari car

    Not only do you get amazing safari guides, durable and reliable 4WD Land cruisers specially customised for comfort and 360 degree views of the action, wonderful wildlife spectacles and scenery to die for…. you also get added extras, the small things that make all the difference:

    A hot picnic lunch on your first day of safari, laid out with tables and chairs and our traditional Maasai blankets as tablecloths. Enjoy our freshly prepared selection, together with home baked sweets and a superb cup of Tanzanian coffee to finish.

    Food at picnic

    Two bottles of wine to enjoy at your leisure throughout your safari.

    Daily coffee and tea, as well as a coolbox with mineral water in your vehicle, keeping it chilled to enjoy in that perfect moment.

    A pair of binoculars available for your use in every vehicle.

    An in-car charger to ensure that your camera batteries never run out.

    Free wifi in your vehicle for whenever it is available en-route, in case you need to connect with the world you left behind.

    Emergency air evacuation membership with every trip.

    Amref - Flying doctors

    It’s the attention to detail, and the small things that make the difference!

    Book your safari now with us and we’ll take care of your every need.

     

  • A Captivating Combination

    AdminSoa
    May 7, 2019

    Wildlife, Community, And Culture Across A Multitude of Scenic Soda Lakes

    Wildlife in Tanzania would not exist without the communities that are an integral part and parcel of its ecosystems and landscapes; only to experience this is to comprehend. Our 9-day safari was designed especially with this in mind.

    Introduced to Africa with a day on the beguilingly beautifully forested slopes of Mt Meru volcano in Arusha National Park, and the fascinating different colors of the Momella lakes, we then headed out to the elephants and baobabs of Tarangire National Park and across to the groundwater forests and spectacular shores of Manyara National Park, witnessing a first glimpse of the vast array of wildlife that Tanzania has to offer.

    ELEPHANT_TARANGIRE

    Dropping down to the expansive views of Lake Eyasi under the shadows of the Ngorongoro Highlands we were fascinated both with the scenery and with the different cultures of the people.

    First observing the blacksmithing skills of the Datoga, we then had the most incredible encounter with the hunter-gather Hadzabe, joining them for a hunt in lands now protected for their way of life. Numbering only around 1,000, they have lived successfully with their nature in this harsh and dry environment for thousands of years.

    HUNTING_WITH_THE_HADZABE_LAKE EYASI

    Moving on just got better. Driving up into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, we camped right on the rim of the crater, saw rhino in the caldera and then drove on into Serengeti National Park and spent three breathtaking days in the company of millions of wildebeest, zebra, lion, hippo, buffalo, elephant, topi, impala, and warthog.

    The finale was no less engaging. I have never taken in a landscape as alluring as Lake Natron, the Ol Donyo Lengai volcano and the Masonic mountains.

    In this dry and thought-provoking environment, we gained yet more insight into the people of Tanzania. Learning about the Maasai, first hand, we returned to our starting point, Arusha, in awe of this country, its culture and its wildlife.

                                     Can’t wait to experience a safari for yourself: contact us today!

  • Eleven Days Well Spent in Tanzania

    Bryan Fawcett
    November 21, 2017

    If you want to know how to spend 11 day on an Africa safari in Tanzania, here is a great account. Arriving at Kilimanjaro Airport, they were met by their guides, Lomayani and Freddie. From there they overnighted in Kilimanjaro Lodge, unaware of the great sightings they had in store and the experiences they will have. Well, they had expectations, but they are normally nothing compared what is experienced.

    Early the following morning they headed for Manyara National Park. Here they saw basic animals like elephants, and many small antelope, Impala, Dik dik. The next day, they arrived in the Serengeti National Park. Right at the gate, they had the pleasure of seeing a small part of the migration that is in the south of the park at the moment. The main sightings in the Serengeti were the big cats – lion and cheetah, that they saw over the three days that they were there. The Serena Lodge in the Serengeti was their base for these three days. Going out after a relaxing breakfast they had the pleasure of enjoying sightings throughout different times of the day. Animals are visible at certain times of the day, waterholes early morning and late afternoon, in shady areas at lunchtime, scattered on the grasslands the rest of the time. The predators are generally around little hills so they can have a lookout to see what is there from them to capture. At the lodge they saw buffalo and dik dik. Seeing these magnificent beasts whilst relaxing in the lodge is pretty amazing!

    In the Serengeti they had the opportunity of watching a lion family on the hunt, and how the mother and father look after their cubs. As you can see by the pictures they had a kill, now the father brings it closer and in a safer place for the cubs to feed. Protected by the rocks they can safely feed on the wildebeest that had been killed for them, the parents eat as well but make sure there is enough for the little cubs to eat. Other families seen were the cheetah laying about, as you can see they had recently eaten, hence the reason why they are lazing about. On the second day in the Serengeti they had a picnic lunch at a remote picnic site, The picture below shows how they spent it, great enjoyment all around.

     

    From the Serengeti they headed out and into the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The next day, they went into the Ngorongoro Crater, termed as the “8th Wonder of the World”. Inside the crater they got to see the black rhino, one of the most endangered species on Earth. Thereafter, they overnighted nighted in Karatu before heading to see the native tribes of the region. Two tribes with specific industries amongst them. The Hadzabe tribe specializes in hunting and the Datoga tribe in the blacksmith trade. Here they learnt how the Hadzabe hunt and the Datoga make tools and weapons. The trade between themselves and others for survival, the group had a local lunch with the tribes. Later, they headed to Tarangire National Park, where they went on a night game drive, with Brendan, the night safari guide. During this game drive they say jackal, bush babies, zebra, buffalo and elephants. Seeing these creatures at night is very different from the day, a true feeling of Africa comes over you.

    On their last day of safari they headed to Arusha National Park, where they saw flamingos and beautiful scenery around Mt. Meru. Spending these 11 days in Africa gave the ma true and authentic experience in Africa. Come join us on a similar itinerary customized just for you.

  • A Weekend Visit to Oldeani Mountain Lodge

    Bryan Fawcett
    September 25, 2017

    This past weekend, a few members of the Shadows of Africa team visited Oldeani Mountain Lodge just outside Karutu! This is located near Ngorongoro Crater. Rated as one of the most luxurious lodges in the region, it is truly a splendid lodge to stay at whilst exploring this breathtaking area. If you want a place where you can relax and freshen up in comfort, this is definitely the place to come to.

    The team arrived just before lunch after a 2-hour drive from Arusha. Once inside the gates, you can truly feel that you step out of the bush into luxury comfort! The greetings by the staff and the Maasai women were warm and welcoming! The design is modern African with a western touch. When one walks inside, you cannot help but let your eyes wander at the pictures and the ornaments displayed – most are of local African design or of wildlife from the area. The air is filled with sounds of birds, the most common being the Fisher Love Bird, they add to the atmosphere of the place. As you walk out onto the veranda the infinity pool extends out and you can see Oldeani right in front of you!

    oldeani ngorongoro

    The rooms are beautiful and whether you are in a suite or a twin, you can certainly be treated to all the delights of the luxury hotel. Those that want to get in touch with nature can shower outside – privacy though is guaranteed. The beds are soft and comfortable, air conditioning is available for those that want it, The hot water is hot and there is lots of it! In the mornings you can open the sliding doors and allow the sunshine and fresh morning air to flood the room. After being in a safari truck all day, this is exactly what you need! Relax, this place also has an upcoming spa where you can take it one level further in achieving a relaxed state.

    Inside the main area, there is the lounge and bar! The lounge is supplied with great board games to amuse children and adults alike. A billiards room is located on the on the corner to entertain the more active person. Don’t worry the bar has you covered, and drink they can conjure up for you by a there plentiful array of alcoholic beverages. The food served here is tantalizing, the team was certainly happy with all the choices on the menu. The chef is definitely really good, you will be filled up in a healthy way. Those that want to maintain a healthy lifestyle you may go to the gym are relieve your body of those extra calories gained whilst on safari. A children’s club is located on the ground floor where they can amuse themselves for hours, with a movie theatre right next to it as well. People travelling on a more serious note can have board meetings etc in the boardroom located within the main building. I can say this place is a great location for a company retreat, and team building retreat!

    oldeani pool lodge tanzania lodge oldeani lodge-oldeani

    With outstanding day trips close by, this lodge is in a prime location for the luxury traveller. If you have any more questions email us at info@shadowsofafrica.com

  • A Six Park Safari Adventure

    Lauren Smith
    October 24, 2016
    Marc visited 6 different areas within the Northern circuit, with bird watching as the main focus!
  • The Hadzabe Tribe: Ancient Hunter-Gatherers

    AdminSoa
    December 31, 2010

    The Hadzabe live in caves and try to stay away from other people. Their territory is Lake Eyasi, but through the years they have been left with only a trace of the vast lands that were their own.

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